The Storm 2020: The RIPTIDE RETROspective

RIPTIDE Wrestling: The Storm Brighton Youth Centre, Brighton, UK 14th March 2020.

We have returned with a brand new edition of the RIPTIDE RETROspective thanks to Rippy getting The Storm 2020 assembled for viewing double-quick. Taped shortly before the entire country went into lockdown, it’s an interesting watch as a way of marking that moment in time as well as for the matches themselves.

On that front, we will see the return of Travis Banks to the company, Cara Noir and Mike Bird’s bitter rivalry come to a head, and Spike Trivet’s first defense of the Brighton Championship since winning it five months prior. Without any further ado let’s get to it.

Gene Munny & Millie McKenzie vs Paul Robinson & Damon Moser

Gene Munny dubs his team with Millie McKenzie, the Dog-Faced Gremlins, prior to their match opposite Money Versus Everybody at The Storm 2020. Two singles stars attempting to take on established teammates will pretty much always have the same result regardless of moniker, though. Yes, MvE takes the win in this opener but isn’t a completely one-sided contest.

One particularly dynamic sequence sees Millie flinging Robbo all over the shop with German suplexes as Gene holds Damon Moser at bay. Elsewhere, MvE uses the sort of bully-boy tactics they are reviled for to grind the valiant faces down. A curb stomp from Robinson to Gene gives Moser the opening to score the pin for their team. A good start to the night for Spike Trivet’s faction.

TK Cooper vs Warren Banks

In his pre-match promo, TK Cooper reiterates his claim to the title of Mr. RIPTIDE in a rather compelling fashion at The Storm 2020. Signing off by saying that he will have the match of the show against the debuting wrestler, TK gives himself a lot to live up to. It’s possible that the match may have done that if it had more time, but at just over five minutes in length there’s no chance you can call this match of the show, unfortunately. That’s not to say that it’s bad; far from it. Mr. RIPTIDE scores the victory following a beautiful ax kick.

Post-match Cooper gets on the microphone and calls his ETM buddy Chuck Mambo to the ring. He says he wants his best mate to face off against his other best mate, and…

The Storm 2020

Chuck Mambo vs Travis Banks

Out marches, Travis Banks to his best theme tune Nails, forget that generic WWE dross. Now, this is a match for the show candidate at The Storm 2020. Banks and Mambo go for one another full force and the pace doesn’t let up for the duration of their bout. We get a nice wee tour of the venue as they go for a bit of a walk and brawl.

It’s time for a series of big moves one after the other in the final straight: Trav hits a Kiwi crusher; Mambo hits white noise; Trav locks on the lion clutch; Mambo hits a springboard frog slash.

It’s exhilarating stuff and looks to be either wrestler’s match to win throughout. There can only be one winner and that winner is not the former Brighton Champion. Continuing his recent run of losses, Mambo falls to the third Kiwi crusher of the match to give Banks the win.

Following the match, TK Cooper gets back on the mic and says that he knows his plan was weird but he’s trying to snap Mambo out of his funk. There’s only one thing left to try… the RIPTIDE Rumble.

Killer Kelly vs Mad Kurt

Killer Kelly returns to the indies to face off against one of the most over guys in BritWres in Mad Kurt. Although he may be more known at the moment for his wacky antics outside the ring, Kurt reminds everyone just how good he is inside the ring during this match. He asserts control over Kelly during a lengthy opening sequence, working the arm. Kelly soon begins to live up to her forename and begins to take the young madman apart after the five-minute mark.

We admit to not being overly familiar with Kelly’s work prior to this match but she certainly comes across very well here. Killer Kelly takes the pin following a textbook rolling death valley driver – Velveteen Dream eat your heart out. After a brief celebration, Kelly offers a fist bump to Kurt which he declines, electing to dab instead. That prompts Kelly to pick up Kurt’s keyboard and smash it over his head before carrying him to the back. Delightfully bizarre.

The Storm 2020

Cara Noir vs Mike Bird

The grudge match six months in the making between Mike Bird and Cara Noir is prefaced by a rather excellent promo video:

Cara comes absolutely flying out of the blocks at the bell, smashing Bird with two shotgun dropkicks into the corner, two Rude awakenings, followed by a missile-like tope to the outside. It’s nice to see wrestlers treating a grudge match as a grudge match, you know?

Of course, the Black Swan’s offensive run can’t last forever and when Bird takes charge he shows exactly why he’s a force to be reckoned with. He rocks Cara with big moves – very nearly putting a full stop to proceedings with a cracking tombstone driver.

Then things begin to fall apart in that most wrestling of ways: the referee bump. The first goes down courtesy of an intentional punch from Bird, the second via an intentional kick from Cara and the third calls the match off as a double disqualification. Chaos reigns as the two combatants brawl out into the crowd sending both spectators and chairs flying. It takes the majority of the locker room emptying to separate the bitter enemies as the crowd chant ‘let them fight’. Magical.

The Storm 2020

Jordon Breaks vs Spike Trivet (c) – Brighton Championship Match

Spike Trivet defends the Brighton Championship against the man who pinned him at 2019’s RIPTIDE Rumble Jordon Breaks. As the main event, this really does take a while to catch fire. As a fan of both men but one doesn’t believe our eyes on the styles complement one another’s very well when in the main event spot.

Both flavor a slow burn that does eventually result in fireworks but that really does work better if only one wrestler structures their offense in that manner. Sh.. starts getting real when Breaks takes Trivet out into the crowd for a bit of the old walk and brawl. At the rear of the Youth Centre Breaks traps Trivet in a key lock to which the champ taps furiously. Being as it takes place outside the ring it doesn’t count and the match continues.

Back in the ring, Trivet hits some big moves culminating in a double underhook shoulder breaker that garners a paper-thin near fall. An errant elbow from Spike takes the referee out the action (two matches in a row), and that causes a legal tap-out to be missed when Trivet gets caught in the key lock once again.

It also allows Paul Robinson to interject and curb stomp a prone Breaks whilst he still has the key lock clamped on LST. One miraculous ref recovery later and Spike Trivet remains the Brighton Champion. Post-match David Starr (via pre-recorded voice message) challenges Spike to a bout at the RIPTIDE Rumble which was due to have taken place this month.

So endeth another excellent show from the RIPTIDE team. The home presentation is tip top as always with the unique use of a television screen (as in the opening video) employed throughout. The storytelling for which the company is held in such high regard was generous too, with the majority of matches having post-match angles attached.

Whenever it winds up taking place the RIPTIDE Rumble will be one to look forward to. We’ll see you back for the RETROspective at that time. Take care out there everyone. Be sure to check them out on RIPTIDE on Demand AND Powerslam TV.